Cellulitis

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AnitaStreet

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My horse has been lame in various legs over the last two weeks - started in fronts, now seems worse on back left. He's had three swollen legs, worse one being left hind. Swelling went with box rest and bute. Finished a course of bute and started some limited turnout. Now back to square one. Vet says definitely not laminitis, we're treating for cellulitis. Makes sense that the swollen back leg is now the lamest and it could be an infection. I'm just a bit confused that the lameness seemed to start in fronts! Has anyone had multi leg lameness from cellulitis?
 
AnitaStreet said:
My horse has been lame in various legs over the last two weeks - started in fronts, now seems worse on back left. He's had three swollen legs, worse one being left hind. Swelling went with box rest and bute. Finished a course of bute and started some limited turnout. Now back to square one. Vet says definitely not laminitis, we're treating for cellulitis. Makes sense that the swollen back leg is now the lamest and it could be an infection. I'm just a bit confused that the lameness seemed to start in fronts! Has anyone had multi leg lameness from cellulitis?
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I used to have a big horse who regularly got cellulitis, his legs would always swell at night and I would never have box rested him. Excerise was the answer and I don’t understand why your vet suggested the treatment that he did ?
 
Does your horse have very sensitive skin - could it be that he's starting with mud fever? On one occasion when my horse had a really bad bout of MF starting, he was quite lame and presented as though he'd got cellulitis (confirmed by vet), but it then became evident that it was the startings of a really bad dose of MF.

At the time he was on livery on a mixed farm and was out with cattle and we think that he reacted really badly to the mud as it was very deep and poached around the gates with plenty of fresh cattle poo mixed in where they stood around.
 
bonny said:
I used to have a big horse who regularly got cellulitis, his legs would always swell at night and I would never have box rested him. Excerise was the answer and I don’t understand why your vet suggested the treatment that he did ?
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Very young vet... I'm now dealing with the practice owner!
 
Northern Hare said:
Does your horse have very sensitive skin - could it be that he's starting with mud fever? On one occasion when my horse had a really bad bout of MF starting, he was quite lame and presented as though he'd got cellulitis (confirmed by vet), but it then became evident that it was the startings of a really bad dose of MF.

At the time he was on livery on a mixed farm and was out with cattle and we think that he reacted really badly to the mud as it was very deep and poached around the gates with plenty of fresh cattle poo mixed in where they stood around.
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Yes he's definitely sensitive! It's as if he's reacted to something and it's affected his body in different ways. There is zero mud at the moment but I wouldn't rule anything out with him. I guess antibiotics and bute won't hurt if it is MF (which he got in the winter just gone and had similar symptoms). I just can't understand the lameness starting in front and then moving to the back!
 
AnitaStreet said:
Yes he's definitely sensitive! It's as if he's reacted to something and it's affected his body in different ways. There is zero mud at the moment but I wouldn't rule anything out with him. I guess antibiotics and bute won't hurt if it is MF (which he got in the winter just gone and had similar symptoms). I just can't understand the lameness starting in front and then moving to the back!
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What size/type is your horse ?
 
AnitaStreet said:
16.2 Ginger warmblood, 9 yo - with a vet history that would make you cry!
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I thought he would be big, sounds like mine who was a big tb and prone to everything going. I learnt to ignore his swollen legs and just excerise him and the swelling would go, sometimes you could find a small cut but often nothing to see. He would be lame if the swelling was very bad but it still went away just the same.
 
bonny said:
I thought he would be big, sounds like mine who was a big tb and prone to everything going. I learnt to ignore his swollen legs and just excerise him and the swelling would go, sometimes you could find a small cut but often nothing to see. He would be lame if the swelling was very bad but it still went away just the same.
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Thanks Bonny - he's giving me sleepless nights... I'm sure you know the feeling. You try so hard and it's one step forward and two back. Lucky we love them so much!
 
when my old boy had a bad bout of cellulitis in a back leg I had to get him out to the field and get him walking as much as possible even though it was January and it was wet and cold. My vet didn't want him stabled at all except to get his meds down him. FWIW, he was very very lame before the leg swelled and initially I thought he'd got an abcess in his foot.
 
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